16464: Dorce: Re: 16364: Fopuche: Re: 16351: Dorce: Re: 16270: Vishnusurf: (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: LAKAT47@aol.com

In a message dated 8/12/03 5:02:44 AM Pacific Daylight Time, "[iso-8859-1]
Rachel Fouché" <vze4xd3t@verizon.net> writes:

<< That's right, let's beat up on the dwindling middle class in Haiti -- what
 the heck, they're mostly living abroad anyway.  I have remnants of family
 who live in Petionville and Cap Haitian, and yes, they live in nice houses
 (some of them with walls).  >>
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
OK, the trouble with my writing is that in my effort to make a point, I may
say things in a colorful way and some people take offense.  I do not beat up on
the middle class, but if you think I'm including them, maybe I should be!
Please understand, it is not the money nor the nice houses that is the problem.
I do not mean to say that EVERY living soul who makes a decent living in
Haiti is bad and EVERY living soul who is poor is good.  But if a person grows up
to believe that some people are worth more because they have money or houses
or speak French, they are part of the problem in Haiti.  And except for a very
few, most Haitians grow up to believe that.  It's not about the money, it's
about the value system.  That's why democracy has such an uphill battle in
Haiti.  The educated Haitians cannot bear to think of the masses voting when they
obviously don't know what's best for them.  Even the good ones have an almost
paternal attitude about the majority Haitian.  I'm sorry if this offends some
on this list (because certainly none of you are a poor Haitian) but Haitians
know best how to help themselves.  Let democracy work.  If it's not working now,
it's not because of the poor....
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
>>The true Haitian spirit believes in the strength of
community and the prosperity of personal initiative; to stoke the illusion
of "class struggle" as the grievance of the Haitian people when the
situation bares a more complex set of struggles lacks a mature understanding
of the Haitian dilemma.<<
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Yes the "true" Haitian spirit is just as you said and the crime is that only
a few have the opportunity to realize their hopes and dreams.  To "stoke the
illusion" of class struggle.....oh dear.  Now this is what I'm talking about.
The class struggle in Haiti is not an illusion.  It is so blatant as to be
blinding to anyone who can see.  I do not stoke anything....I admonish.  I would
love to see the educated Haitians coming together with their less advantaged
brothers and sisters.  I believe the block is one-way.  It will take years and
generations to undo the harm that has been done to the Haitian psyche (on both
sides).  The level of maturity definitely needs to be increased in the way
the privileged (yes, including the middle class) deals with the majority...I
agree with you there.  The crime isn't having money, it's how you treat your
fellow man...

Kathy Dorce~